OUR SISTERS' COLUMN. % Dear Hummer, I was highly delighted with that article ? 'Lucinda Sharpe on Color,' wliicli appeared in the Hummer a couple of issues back. It is very clear to piy mind that the introduc tioii. of black breeds, otherwise known as * ' kanaka labor,' would prove fatal to Austra lians. Members of' Parliament who devote their time, for which they are handsomely paid by the State, to schemes for the enslavement of the people whom they take upon them selves to legislate for are not deserving of the respect of any woman in Australia. ' Respect indeed! What next! It's bad enough for our husbands, and sons, and daughters to have to compete with Chinamen and others, and our business people with. .Indian and Italians hawkers,-' without legal izing the introduction of a still more un civilized class. ? * ' ' ' * ? I was under the impressio n - once ? that civilization was the refining agency that _ drove from its presence everything that was opposed to progress, and that k...

NEWS AND NOTES a. ? Hummer obtainable A. S. Easher, Hay. Burrangong (Young) Miners strike settled satisfactorily. Larrie Petrie holding successful G.L.^cT. meetings in Sydney and suburbs. Erench Socialists forming a big co-operative settlement in South America; Ditto Aus tralian Unionists. Scottish Australian Investment Co. de clares dividend of 10 per cent. Directors recommend that another half -million should be invested in Australia while land is cheap. Lieut-Colonel French, C.M.G., of Queens land ' shoot-'em-down' fame, has received an artillery instructorship in England. Seventy hands in Sydney clothiug trade on strike against a 25 per cent, reduction in wages. No Chinese cooks' employed at Young (N.S.W.) The Chows don't forget Lambing Flat evidently. At last Hay (N.S.W.) races the book makers struck against exorbitant betting fees. Only one blacklegged. Tom Bent, known as a bully at school in Brighton (V.), a cunning cabbage grower in later life, and a land boomer still later,...

THE TOILERS AND TILLERS SHOULD STAND SHOULDER TO SHOULDER. Mr C. A. Lindner, of the Burrumbuttock Farmers' Union, writes to Secretary Head as follows: — . - ? Dear Sir, — I am in receipt of your leaflet containing Wages Rates as adopted by the annual Conference of the General Laborers' Union. I think the wages' rate set forth there is very reasonable ; if anything* less had been adopted as a minimum standard, it would . have been no improvement worth troubling about. Whether an attempt' to improve them, will be successful will be a question of time. I doubt it under our existing social system because of the fact that capital (fictitious) is too well represented in our Legislatures as not to resort to wholesale immigration in case of seeing, their monopoly endangered by the . wealth-producers de manding- justice. But if those rates could be enforced, then I can only say the sooner the better, from a farmer's point of view, as well as from a wage -earners' . If the majority of my fell...

BRIEF REPLIES. C.T.T. (Collarendabri) : Thanks for clip ping. The Mercury always had a leprons; taint. ? Bushwaoker (Coota) : Unions here have applied for permission to take co operative contracts, but no reply has yet been received from the Upper Chamber. J. B. (Marra) : 'Workingman's Paradise' posted. ? T. T. O'C. (Gunning) : Ditto.— — F. F. (Goulburn) : Two copies sent, also New Australia /Rules.- ? ' Tui': Too good to cut down, so next week. ? 'Demos': Held over for obvious reasons. — —'Caution' to Snakes' : Thanks. Send along anything of interest. We'll open a Celebrity Column soon. — — ' Angus' (Gulgong) : Every para graph you send appeared originally in The Summer. The Unionist is a whale with the scissors. So are a lot of other newspapers,, but they mostly acknowledge it.

THE OASIS OF KERBERAH (By 0£d Brit.) -- . Ali Suleiman, the .great, robber chief, was growing old. For many years he had been the terror of caravans, whose slightest insis tence he avenged with cruel murder/ Though troops had been sent against hiiii again and again, and a large price placed on ' his heads he had baffled all attempts at capture. But now he was getting old and his courage was forsaking him.. Yet he did not like to re linquish his lucrative trade, and his - cunning brain had long brgoded over a scheme which ?should' give , him the plunder without risk. At last he was satisfied' with it, arid decided upon its execution. The next morning a messenger departed for Morocco, bearing a letter from Ali Suleiman to the Commander of the Faithful, which announced his humble submission . and . the despatch of two camel loads of precious mer ?chandise in token of homage. In return Ali ^Suleiman craved forgiveness for his past mis deeds, and permission to guard future ?caravans agai...

HENRY GEORGE ON COMPETITION Dear Hummer,— Larry Petrie, in his letter, says that George's reply to Secretary Head is decidedly mixed, because George holds that all un earned increment in land belongs by right to the people. It's my opinion that Larry has got mixed when he argues that, the com munity creates the value of the implements of production. Surely Larry knows that the real value of the product of labor is the amount of labor expended in producing' such articles as he mentions, viz., socks, boots, ships, machinery, railways, and in ventions. Why he particularly mentions inventions I am at a loss to know,, because railways, machinery, ships, and boots and socks are inventions. Any sur plus value or unearned increment which he says the community creates on socks and boots is due to monopoly of some sort, either in the production of socks or the distribution, and does not arise from the needs of the pro ducer. If the needs of the producer deter mined the price or value, then al...

BOURKE BREEZES Apropos of correction in last issue, by Mr Temple, re inaccuracy of 'your Bourke corres pondent, it may be advisable to inform your readers that all reports of union meetings . in Bourke are submitted to the censorship of a committee before publication. * * #. Mackay, of Clover' Creek, booked his . shearers to start on Monday, 16th inst:* This ? shed shore under A.S.U. agreement last year when it commenced on the 1st of June. ; The early start this season is due to dry weather. *? . # * Charlotte Plains — Big-nell's station — near Cunnamulla (Q.) starts on June 1st. Cai warro, Boorara, , and Currawynia, near Hungerford, are fully' booked with local ' shearers to start from ,15th to 20th June. ?* ? * * The forwarding agents are giving* special bonuses to teams ' where the time limit, is fixed ; £14 a ton was paid for loading to Boorara last week — the distance about 140 miles— load to be delivered in 12 days.'

.MINERNEY ON THE JOB. Dbae Hujuiee, Looking over the provincial , papers, I discover that Mr J as. M'Inerney has been on a lecturing* tour, . presumably in the interests of the A.S.U.' But in my humble opinion it would;Jhave been better for the Union generally had he stayed at home; instead of making foolish and mis leading statements. However, I don't pretend to be his judge, so I'll ask you to print the following pars, clipped from the Yass Evening Tribune , Quean beyan Times , and Braidwood Dispatch , and let our members judge for themselves. In the Yass 3vening Tribune of May the 2nd, he is reported to have said : ' 1 He always de fended the men, and there had never been any friction between himself and the em ployers he came in .contact, with.-' . This is a different yarn to the one he pitched at Goulburn, in the course of which he publicly jumped on the victims of a time-honored pro secution conducted by a hanging Judge and pastoralist in the interest of Capitalism. And as for...

THE POLICE AND ELECTORAL REFORM AT HAY. The police at Hay are wide awake as the following from our Hay correspondent will show. ' The Revision Court will be held here on the 16th inst., and on the list posted up at the court-house appear as large as life the names of Pierce (P.M.), Adrian (C.P.S.), Smith (Sub-Inspector of Police), and several constables. A friend of mine asked the reason for this unusual proceeding, and was informed that' there was nothing in the Act which positively forbade their names ? being on the roll, though under the present Act they were precluded from voting. And as probably during next session of Parliament the new Bill giving the police a vote would become law, an interval of perhaps six months would be allowed for a fresh collec tion of rolls. If, during this six months, an election happened to come along, those hav ing their names on the roll though pro hibited from voting under the present Act could, they claim, record their votes under the provisions ...

BOURKE BRANCH A.S.U. The half-yearly meeting of the Bourke Branch A.S.U. Avas held in Drew's Hall on . Friday, May 13, Mr A. Andrew (Chairman of the Branch) presiding. Over eighty members were present. The minutes of the previous meeting having been confirmed, correspondence from Secretary Bourke Unions Parliamentary Committee conveying decision of that body re proffered, refund ? of election expenses by Messrs LangAvell and Macdonell, and from Whiteley King re' engaging through P.U. office, was received, and consideration de ferred.' . . ' Messrs Lang well and Macdonell (Con ference delegates) then submitted report of Conference proceedings. ? The report dealt extensively with all the business transacted at Conference, and a full explanation was given as to' the cause of . Bourke and Wagga delegates having pro tested against Conference resolutions censur ing -those Branches for expenditure of Union funds in what was held to be an unconstitu tional manner. The delegates said they ha...

NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF THE A S U WAGGA BRANCH. THE FEDERATION BALLOT It has been decided to extend the time for taking above ballot until MAY 31. Those who have not voted should at once procure ballot papers from the office or D.C. Secretaries. W. W. HEAD, Secretary. May 4, 1892. NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF THE G L U WAG-GAT BRANCH. THE FEDERATION BALLOT It has been decided to extend the time for taking above ballot until MAY 31. Those 'who have not voted should at once procure ballot papers from the office or D.C. Secretaries. W. W. HEAD, Acting Secretary. May 4, 1892. rjlHE NEW UNIONISJM. MR W G SPENCE 'Will Lecture oisr the above Subject AT BOURKE On MONDAY EVENING-, MAY 23. Everybody Invited. JJOURKE BRANCH A.S.U. NOTICE TO ALL SHEARERS. Seeing that the Pastoralists Union are ex acting* conditions and terms by their adver tisement which are derogatory to the prin ciples of Unionism and Manhood, Shearers are requested to make their engagements in the usual manner direct with Pastoralists....

SMOKE HO!! Pastoralists Union says a shearer who hasn't got the pound to pay for a pen needn't pay it, but he must send references. How very kind ! They will get neither in any quantity. 4VV &amp; Toganmain, on the Murrumbidgee, wants shearers to send £2 for a pen, and shear under the old station agreement. Toganmain boss and Bobby Rand have played lone hands right through. They are wealthy, but must eventually succumb to the rule of the Banks, and if another big fight should happen both will be found on the side of the squatters' ring. * # # The boss of some earth works near Wagga says that the days are too short to allow the navvies a smoke-ho. Eor the same reason we can't publish many 'smokes' this issue. * * # Co-operation. — William Saunders, Presi dent of the Australian Labor Federation of Queensland, and Charles Leek, both mem bers of the Shearers' Union, and practical bushmen, left Brisbane on Saturday, 14th May, bound to South America by way of Sydney and New Zealand. T...

MELBOURNE NOTES. [By A. J. S.] At the Collingwood Workingmen's Club Dr. Strong lectured upon the 'Life and Teachings of Robert Owen,' the father of co-operation. The Young Patriotic Leaguers would have positively fainted had they heard the Doctor while he was quoting from some of the ablest English writers, who have laid bare in all its hideousness the systems and abuses upou which England's commercial suj)remacy was founded. Children working 10, 12, and 14 hours per day, and herded together like swine. But the patriots were at home roosting on their warming pans. * # as Last [Friday a deputation of workers waited upon the Metropolitan Board of Works to try and persuade the Board to insert a clause in the conditions of their contract prohibiting the employment of any but local labor. We were very affably re ceived .by the mighty Fitzgibbon, who as sured us that our. request would be, as per usual, carefully considered. * * *? Richmond Labor meeting last Sunday discussed municipal ma...

THE HUMMER IS THE PROPERTY OF THE UNIONS, And is conducted by the Members for tlie Members. m PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL Has the slightest interest in the Hummer , as we think it is about TIME WE KNOCKED OFF SUBSIDISING PRIVATE MONOPOLY. EVERY UNIONIST h.ould SUBSCRIBE to the paper, and thus IMPROVE HIS OWN PROPERTY. THE HUMMER Is the smartest Co-operative Labor Journal in the colony. Those who supply the news are in touch with the Labor movement;, and understand all about it. THE HUMMER ' '' . , ; '? IS' /.1, The Official Organ OP THE Associated lRiverina Workers. Peice, 4s per Annum, in advance Single Copy, Id. THE HUMMER has a wider circulation than any other Co-operative Labor Journal in New South Wales. The, workers never did and; never will obtain any f benefits from the papers owned by wealthy syndicates and controlled by the capitalistic class, as such papers are run solely for speculative purposes, and conse quently the interests of advertisers and the monied class are always well ...

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Anyone who wants to do honest business can advertise in the 'Hummer.' We have no room for the greedy speculator or mono polist, the quack or the schemer. No paper can run straight for the people and hit every fraud and He that exists which has to depend upon the favor of its adver tisers ; and the 1 ' Hummer' ' means to be in the fore-front of the Labor Movement while it intends to run hpnest till it runs doAvn. For these reasons we cringe to no one for advertisements ; but all the same we ask Unionists to support their _ own paper by patronising those who advertise in it. The ' Hummer' is the only truly co -opera - tiAre weekly newspaper in Australia, and all profits go toAvards its improvement. The ' ' Hummer' office is a recognised Union office. The only one in the Riverina. For terms apply to the MANAGER.

OUR PLATFORM The ' Hummer' advocates : (1) Trades Unionism and the Federation of Labor throughout Australia now . throughout the Avorld in the near future; (2) Co-operation : Voluntary, municipal, and national. (3) Australia for Australian citizens, equality of the sexes, equal pay for equal Avork. (4) The complete political independence of the United Australian Commonwealth, on a basis of pure democratic Republican- ? ism. (5) The Referendum, the people their own Upj-er House. (6) Free land for a free people ; taxation o^ land Aralues. - * (7) In. the event of an invasion,- those who \ oavii the country to fight for it ; every body else to ' shift up country out of ?- harm'sf'way. ?' -- , , (8) Those who belieA'e in these reforms to assist in obtaining them by subscribing to the paper — 4s per annum. The 'Hummer' opposes: (1) Black and yellow labor. (2) Imported Governors. (3) ' Freedom of contract' of the Employers' Union lop-sided variety. ? \ 4) Titles of rank, hereditary or oth...

THE PASTORALISTS UNION AND' : NEW ZEALAND SHEARERS. - - .-»???????? , -*tf f , , ? V -? - - ' ? ? -? ' ' - --- (From the . ITavrke's Bay Evening Post,. N.Z., 7th April, 1892.) 'It i appears to - us ; that the Pastoralists Unioiivof Australia has sworn a deadly feiiii ' against tlW- shearers of that ' continent, else why their endeavors to -induce New Zealand shearers to go over for the coming season ? The shearers in I New Zealand would indeed be a heartless lot if 'they were to consent to go over to take the bit of bread out of the men's mouths who have ' been looking hun grily forward- to earning a; few' pounds' at the1 shearing this year. The unemployecl are ' wandering over'1' Australia in hundreds, and' 'amongst tliem ' shearers ' are . plentiful enough: ' Why, if ' the pastoralists are not absolutely bent .upon dejuriying the Aus tralian shearers altogether of the means of earning a crust, 'do they ask that, with hun dreds 'of men starving at their gates, thewell to:do wqrkiri...